The Eternal Game
The Eternal Game is a unique contest-story in the Xaterex Multiverse Storyline. Story Prologue Shardak fell. He fell downward into a void of shadows. Down, down, down he and Blast fell through shadows and darkness. Suddenly, Shardak felt a rift in time, similar to the time he'd fallen into a Hand of Mata Nui dimensional gateway. But this was different in ways Shardak could not fathom. His body aged, his Kanohi Ignika vanished before he collapsed on the ground, his body weak, his mind aching as he recalled the past few days. Or nightmares, as he'd rather think of them. But he knew they were more real then anything. He saw the storms of the Far Realm bearing down on them, saw Icyklia and Kyhrex calling to him to run, saw the vicious battle where Abinak and Xandrek were killed, saw thousands of Soul Marauders attacking Zralk and ripping him to shreds, saw the Soul Eliminator toy with him before hurling him into the void, and lastly saw the crazed Fenrakk Mage holding Ryger, Icyklia, and Kyhrex's limp bodies, and watched the sky explode as the Twilight Void was ripped apart and the crumbling spire and all the combatants vanish into the Far Realms. He and Blast were now totally alone. There were no happy endings this time. The Hand had been destroyed by the White Lightning Division. Above, Eostra had won. Below, the realms were in chaos. The Toa were almost totally quelled. Hopelessness washed over him. Everything had been lost. Nightshade had even killed Arcturas, just to spite Shardak. Nightshade... Shardak hated her. She'd drawn him in to a war against the Corpsians, and even after Arcturas had been restored to him, she'd killed him again with her deadly soul-eating dagger. But Shardak knew that he couldn't stay like this. He needed to get himself and Blast out of here. Reaching over to his Toa-Brother, he shook at Blast's limp form. The Toa blearily opened his eyes. "Shardak..." he said. "Yes, its me," he replied "You're alive." said Blast. Then he looked shocked. "Oh, Mata — Kyhrex!" "She's gone." Shardak told him hopelessly. "After you fell, the Fenrakk Mage grabbed her, Ryger, and Icyklia. When the storm struck the tower, they were absorbed." "Mata Nui, no..." Blast gasped in horror. "We are FINISHED." "No, we're not." Said Shardak. "We can still win, but we need to survive. We can't do anything if we stay here. We need to find more Toa who can fight. Then, maybe, we stand a chance." Then a raspy, nasal voice spoke. "You never stood a chance, rebels," The Soul Eliminator said. Chapter 1 Soul Marauders! thought Shardak, and cursed. He should have known that the Soul Eaters were near. The Corpse dogs had the ability to track souls. They'd followed him here! Three Soul Defenders holding Midak Skyblasters took aim on him. Okay. he thought. Kill me. I don't care anymore. But the Soul Defenders didn't fire. They simply turned to the Eliminator, who gave a small nod. "Come, Toa." the Eliminator said quietly. "You will join the Eternal Game." "What—?" Shardak gasped, but they all suddenly dematerialized. When their bodies reappeared, they were standing near the spires of Metru Nui. Many tall beings wearing armor and holding whips were following miserable Matoran slaves. "What are those beings?" Shardak asked the Soul Eater. "They are Kodax." he replied. "Follow me." The Toa walked, surrounded by their enemies, until they came to the Coliseum. It was tall and shining, not at all like the ruins that Shardak remembered. Something was wrong here. Why did the Corpsians not recognize him? What were the beings called Kodax doing here? Did they rule the city now? Surely Metru Nui couldn't have fallen to the Corpsians already? He didn't know. "We are here." The Eliminator snarled, and entered the Coliseum. Shardak gasped. Within the building, there was a large stage, along with a crowed of Kodax and Toa standing beneath it. Atop the stage stood a tall, gaunt Soul Eater. Standing to one side of him there was a tall, jet armored Kodax. On the other, there was-Nightshade! Rage threatened to overwhelm him. His Toa-Father's murderer stood before him, garbed in an Aspect's black cloak. What was she doing here? But there was no time to ask the Eliminator, for the Soul Eater on the stage spoke in an ancient, twisted voice. "Greetings, warriors of the Corpse Empire, and welcome, contestants, to the Eternal Games!!" Maniacal cheering filled the air. Corpse Empire?! Shardak thought. What has happened? The Soul Eliminator on the stage began to speak a lot of gibberish in Corpsian, which was greeted by more maniacal cheering. Then Shardak heard a phrase that he recognized. "...Five thousand years ago, we crushed the Hand of Mata Nui..." So they were in some kind of nightmare future. "And threw all those that rebelled into an ever changing arena to fight forever." The audience's cries reached fever pitch as the crowd roared and screeched. "now we will send in more, to replace those that have died." No...no... thought Shardak desperately. N''ot us...'' "And they will fight, as their forebears fought before them." The Soul Eater began to read off the names of the other contestants: Kiina, Hahli, Nightwatcher... A tall Toa of Shadow stood as the Eater spoke the name "Nightwatcher." Shardak shuddered. The being was vicious. He could never fight that. "...Iruka, Ghost, Kawa, Alloy..." These four joined two of their other competitors, whom Shardak heard referred to as The Fallen Six. All looked as deadly as Nightwatcher. "...Leviathos, Tetrack, Ixtil, Mersery, Soalaz..." Five more warriors joined the already impressive crowd. "...One Odina Drone, Brominax, Acrox, Antidax..." With a start, Shardak realized that three of these were Great Beings. How powerful were these Kodax/Corpse lords, to bring even the primal entities that made the universe under their rule of terror? ...Fairon, Fyxan, Fyxon, Shardak, Blast!" finished the Soul Eater. Shardak and Blast stood numbly when their names were called. "Contestants, follow me." ordered a tall Soul Render. Hopelessness washed over Shardak. They were totally trapped. And if the Kodax and Corpsians didn't kill them, the other competitors would. Chapter 2 Fyxan stood in a tall, domed chamber along with the other competitors. Many of them were from his planet, and both foe and friend were standing shoulder to shoulder, hardly waiting to kill each other. But most of all, Fyxan watched the traitor Kodax called Fyxon. Under the influence of a deathly being called Void, he had betrayed them to all to be a spy. The Kodax's eyes switched to Iruka, who looked breathless at the chance to fight in the Games. He, Kawa, Ghost, Kouhiimaru, Naraku, and Alloy formed a group known as The Fallen Six and were allies with two Toa of Light called Ravdev and Lekhop. Fyxan thought it was quite ironic; two Toa joing a group of evil lords, but he said nothing. Other alliances included a group led by Leviathos with Tetrack's Brotherhood of Gigas Magna, and a group led by an alternate "Toa Mata Nui." A small group led by a Demo-Makuta called Kojol had forged a larger alliance with a group led by Zaeron. "Ready to be deployed to the Arena," ordered the Render supervisor. Well, here goes my life. Fyxan thought grimly, as he stepped into a tall metal cylinder. "Just remember," The Soul Eater went on. "In the Arenas, you kill. Or you die." The Soul Eater observed nearly 80 beings, stripped of weapons, ready to leave for a realm of death and devastation. And only one would ever return. ---- Shardak felt a rush as the tube tore upward, ready to be deployed into a realm of death. He and Blast had considered joining another group, but in the end decided to fight for themselves only. Besides, there were other beings already there who may team up with them. But Shardak knew he could not win. The competition was too great. "We're here," said Blast grimly as the pod opened. Shardak stepped out — and gasped. He was standing on a colossal game board. A deathly black sky that held but a few feeble stars cast a half-light on the ground. Shardak glanced around at Ravdev and Harlen, the two Toa standing nearest to him. They looked equally amazed. Nightwatcher, Ghost, Iruka, and the Skrall leader Tuma did not look the slightest bit fazed. With a roar, Nightwatcher ripped apart his glass prison and charged towards the game board. Shardak watched Kental's prison open, then Ravdev's, then his and Blast's. "Go! Run!" screamed Blast. Shardak charged into the battle. He saw three caches of weapons, arrayed near a central podium. Farther away, tunnels began to open. A vicious Lavawight charged toward the central podium, where the fighting was thickest. Ravdev turned and followed him. Shardak took a breath, then plunged into the battle. Blood and armor splashed all over his body, and all around him, it was impossible to tell who was alive and who was dead. Harlen charged at him, tearing his arm. Shardak winced in pain, then slashed out. Harlen was a good fighter, but luckily, neither of them had a weapon. Harlen lashed out with a fist, sending Shardak sprawling into the dust. The wild-eyed toa leered at him — then his fist fell to his side, and his shattered body fell to the ground. Shardak spotted Kental, armed with a Shattering Gun, spring away from Harlen's corpse. Ravdev, her face set in a mask of grim determination, charged forward, then gasped. Shardak turned, horrified to see the Toa of Light had fallen into a pool of lava where a square of the board had once been. Shardak saw the Lavawight grab a long spear and ran her through. As her eyes glazed over with death-mist, he ripped out the weapon, and Ravdev collapsed, lifeless, on the ground, her blood mingling with the lava that had insured her death. Two dead before they even reached a weapons cache. With a yell, Shardak leapt onto the alter, and grabbed a sword. It wasn't the Blade of Arcturas, but it would do. A huge Stitched Scion lumbered toward him, swinging a mace. As Shardak was flung from the alter, the Scion's lower half shattered, blown to bits by Iruka, and Nightwatcher lopped off its head. An updated alternate Tahu leapt toward the podium, grabbed a weapon, and dashed into the night. Lewa sprung after him, but Ghost, armed with his Crystal Scythe, ripped him down like a reaper. Lewa lay unconscious; not dead, but Shardak wouldn't bet on him surviving the day. A warrior called Sen charged past Shardak, who raised his blade, but Kawa was quicker. She grabbed the warrior and slashed him open. Sen collapsed backwards, desperately trying to flee, but Lekhop grabbed a Staff of Light and fired a bolt from the tip, killing him. Shardak spotted a Toa of Ice called Soalaz flee toward the next weapons cache, where Ixtil and Mersny already stood. Shardak grabbed a second blade and slashed at random in the direction of Soalaz. He thought he saw the Toa go down, and fled. How many have died? Shardak wondered, as the battles at the caches continued. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? The dark arena held no answer for him. Chapter 3 Snarling, Kojol lept at Nightwatcher, who blocked the attack with one Skrall blade. The force was such that the Demo-Makuta collapsed on the ground. Nightwatcher raised his sword to finish him off when a Toa called Vakx lept at him, taking Nightwatcher by surprise. With a swipe of his blade, Nightwatcher slashed open the nuisance, but Kojol was back on his feet, Zaeron by his side. Kojol fired a swipe of Shadow at Nightwatcher, who blocked it with a powerful burst of his own. Kojol fired again, putting Nightwatcher on the defensive. Zaeron fired a blast of elemental power from his blade, covering the retreat of the rest of the alliance. Kojol turned, ready to follow, before his armor was shattered by a blast of sonic power. "It's shattering time." Kental snarled, readying his gun to fire at Nightwatcher. Suddenly, Tuma broke off from the Toa of Fire he was fighting and leapt at Kental, taking him down. As blood and armor were ripped apart, Tuma finally was thrown backward, where he fell, lifeless and shattered. Kojol chose the moment to flee, and tore away from the second cache. Acrox sprang forward to continue the fight with Nightwatcher and Kental. ---- Ixtil was a wise Matoran. Under his guidance, the Matoran had formed a great nation. But now, in the arena fighting alongside Mersery, he worried. He was doomed. Brominax was grappling with Tetrack and Kelvar, a corrupt Toa of Lightning, while Nalek and Zaster were ripping at each other viciously with both blades and elements. With a screech, the currently winged Makuta called Dredzek flew down opon them as they fled toward the third cache. Hahli, Kiina, Kawa, a Toa called Phoenix, and the Toa of Fire that had been fighting Tuma at the battle over the second cache, came. Ixtil recognized him as Igniter, a vicious rogue Toa. Dredzek fell into a plunge, ripping at Mersery with his talons. Mersery conjured eight glowing spheres of fire, which detonated on the Makuta's body. His armor melting, Dredzek, snarling, hurled a shadow hand at Mersery, flinging the elder to the ground helpless. Kental broke away from the main battle between himself, Nightwatcher, and Kental. Seeing Ixtil undefended, he fired the shattergun. Pain shot through Ixtil's leg as the armor and muscle shattered. Dredzek, breaking apart from his fight with Mersery, grabbed Ixtil, and flung his torn body to the ground. Ixtil gasped his last breaths before his eyes clouded in death. With a roar of rage, Mersery lept at Dredzek, slashing his body nearly in two. Leaving the dead Makuta on the ground, he charged toward the third cache. He saw Nightwatcher leap after him. Had he killed Acrox and Kental? He saw the remaining combatents turn visious. Most of the fighting was over, with most of the warriors in small deuls around the first and second caches, or fighting at the third. Phoenix slashed Kiina apart. Hahli, Kiina's ally, sprang away from the Pheonix, and electrified Igniter. The stunned Toa staggered into Nightwatcher, who cut his head off. Iruka slashed at Hahli, who dodged, but Kawa grabbed the toa and hurled her lifeless body to the ground. The battle was over. and the survivors began to gather the weapons that lay around them. Shardak heard the voice of the Kodax announcers, announcing the end of the initial battles. Then they listed off the names of the dead. "Hahli, Kiina, Igniter, Raverak, Ixtil, Harlen, Sen, Ravdev, Soalaz, Dredzek, Scion, Jorbyy, Acrox, Tuma, Vakx." the Kodax listed off the names coldly and clearly. So the first battles are over. Shardak thought. The first days were always the bloodiest, as the contestants fought over the prized weapons. Inspecting the battlefield, He saw Leviathos, Krakanus, an Odina Drone, Tetrack, and a few other contestants pacing the battlefeild, salvaging weapons. So Leviathos' and Tetrack's alliance haad won the battle at the caches. He slunk away into the shadows, keen to avoid detection. As he walked, he pondered the dead contestents. Hahli and Kiina he had seen, but never knew. Kiina, in his universe, had been possessed by Gorast in the hybrid wars. He could still see her crazed eyes leering above him, dual trident ready to strike... Shardak shook his head, trying to shake off the memory. Igniter, Ixtil, Raverak, Dredzek, Altor, Jorbyy, and Acrox he had never known. But Harlen he'd seen die a gruesome death, shattered by Kental, and Ravdev's death was even worse. And Soalaz...he must have killed him. Shardak realized he'd become a wicked fighter in the past year. He hoped it hadn't changed him. And Blast was still missing. Mata Nui, keep him safe. Shardak thought desperately. And there he remained, sleeping only scantly; watching for his enemies, who would kill him at the first opportunity. Chapter 4 Nightwatcher watched as Krakanus and Tetrack, followed closely by an Odina Drone, loot the third cache. He would never admit it, but he liked it here. It was always night, with very faint stars. Leviathos, though he had been the one to broker the deal, was long gone. He could not join with his enemies. Well, poor him, thought Nightwatcher as The Odina Drone hefted a huge spear and passed it to Krakanus. It was their alliance that had won the initial battles. The huge amounts of weapons were theirs. Quiet as a ghost, Nightwatcher slipped away from the rest of his group, watching the night as the Kodax announcer repeated the death toll for the first day. So Iruka, Ghost, and the rest of the Fallen Six had survived. A pity. And there was that Toa of Light too, Lekhop or whatever his name was. He was with them. Harlen was dead, and Kental's whereabouts were unknown, but Rando was with the group led by Mata Nui. Most of the other alliances had fractured, though Zaeron may have still been with Raidak and Kojol, Nightwatcher didn't know. I'm done here, the Toa of Shadow thought as he slipped away from his group. Tetrack and Krakanus were resting, while the Odina Drone stood guard. For a splite second, Nightwatcher thought about murdering them all. But no, Tetrack would be roused quickly, and even though he was confident he could overcome all of them, Tetrack could deal nasty wounds. No...besides, they may still be useful, Nightwatcher decided, and vanished into the darkening gloom. Soon the arena would be roused, and the fighting would begin. Nightwatcher raised one blade, then slashed a square on the board completely in two. Satisfied, the Toa of Shadow walked into the forest, were the board ended. He would wait for someone to kill here. ---- Iruka cursed. So Nightwatcher had won the initial battles, and his alliance had claimed the weapon caches. Kouhiimaru followed close behind his leader, alert for any movement. Ghost floated silently beside him, while the Toa of light Lekhop and the other Fallen Six followed him. Iruka cursed again, wishing that Ravdev had survived. The calculating female Toa had created the alliance between them, and had been far more intelligent than Lekhop. While he felt no pity for her death, Iruka vowed to kill the Lavawight. She would have made a useful Exiled One, and could possibly have joined the Fallen Six as well. Then again, Lekhop would be a valuable ally in a fight, as he was a deadly warrior. Just the sort of slave I need here, Iruka thought as they walked toward the volcano in the distance. Suddenly, Kawa, who had stepped on a square behind him, screeched, then vanished. She had simply disappeared. Where did she go!" snarled Iruka. Kouhiimaru raced over to his leader. "She's gone, so is Alloy. They all vanished on different squares." Iruka spat viciously. Could this night get any worse? Naraku moved over by Ghost and the regrouping survivors. "Are they dead?" he asked Kouhiimaru. "Tonight, when the Kodax announces the death toll, we will know," he replied. Iruka was already formulating a new plan. "Come," he said to his remaining five servents. "Where are we going?" Naraku asked. "To try to find Kawa and Alloy?" "No," hissed Iruka. "We will go to the volcano." ---- Mersery raced from the bloody battlefield, scraps of armor clinging to his body. His ally, Ixtil, was dead. His achenemy, Millennium, would be after him. He was hiding in the forest now, unsure of where to go. Back to the caches would be impossible. They'd already announced the deaths today, and it was early morning. A feeble sun had risen. Mersery wondered who would die today. This whole "Eternal Game" was sick. Worse, he knew if he didn't kill, he'd be killed. Raising a small axe, the only weapon he had, Mersery walked quietly toward the forest. He'd spotted Iruka and four other warriors going that way earlier this morning. A blast of force knocked him off his feet. "Well, hello, Mersny," snarled Millenium, his rusted Kanohi inches from Mersery's own. "Now we meet here, in an arena, for the last time." Mersery didn't want to give Millennium the satisfaction of knowing he was frightened, but he was unable to conceal his shock as another being walked to stand by Millennium. The being was a powerful white Toa of Ice, armed with two Ice blades. "This is Onika. He makes a remarkably good slave. Too bad you won't be given the same opportunity," snarled Millennuim as he raised twin Greatswords to attack. Mersery narrowly blocked, and the shock deadened his arm. Onika raised a blade, ripping a long wound down Mersery's left leg. Mersery whipped around, cutting a deep wound in Onika's arm. As Onika regained his strength, Milennium attacked. Mersery blocked his first blade, taking a shallow cut on his forearm, but the second blow cut off his hand. Knowing he had the upper hand, Millennium slashed open Mersery's side. Then Onika attacked. Before he could hit, Mersery flung his axe, burying the lade in Onika's chest. Mersery noticed that Onika's eyes were empy, and as his body collapsed, his eyes never glazed over. With a roar, Mersery lept at Millenium, dealing a blow with his fist in Millennium's eye. With a screech, Millenium slashed Mersery from chest to foot. Like a puppet that had all its strings cut, Mersery slumped to the ground and died instantly. Looking regretfully at Onika's corpse, Millennium departed, leaving one more warrior dead. ---- That night, Iruka and his four warriors watched as the Kodax announcer spoke. Were Kawa and Alloy dead? The Kodax announcer spoke, his loud voice ringing across the arena. "Onika, Mersery." That was all. "So know we know. They are alive." Kouhiimaru said emotionlessly. "We will find them." hissed Iruka. Chapter 5 Shardak wandered through the forest,looking for someplace he could rest. He spun around at the sound of a snapping twig. Standing behind him were two Toa ,wielding spears. One of them (named Spirak) snickered. "Well, I was hoping for some excitement. What about you, Spiruk?" The one named Spiruk raised his spear. "Ah, yeah, but we have to deal with what we have." They then launched into combat. Shardak slashed Spirak across his leg, but was knocked down by Spiruk. "Now you die!" Shardak flung his sword upward. "Never!" To his surprise, he stabbed him in the chest .Spiruk made a gurgling sound and fell over, dead. Spirak looked from the body to Shardak, and fled. Shardak got up and looked at the slain Toa, disturbed. Arcturas' death and Nightshade's betrayal had really changed him, hopefully not for the worst. ---- Lekhop and the remainder of the Fallen Six were making their way to the volcano. The Toa of Light was truely appalled. He was surrounded by four evil beings, and saw his Toa-sister, Ravdev, slain. Eventually, he spoke up for the first time. "What are we doing here?" Iruka stopped. "That is none of your business, Toa." Lekhop sighed. He hated all of this, this vulgar "Eternal Game", being around the Fallen Six, and everything else. Naraku pointed to the north. "I think I see the volcano." Iruka chuckled. "Excelent, follow me." Lekhop and the other three members followed him, Lekhop wondering just how long he would survive. ---- Toa Rellier ran out of the forest, terrorfied. He had encoutered...something in there. What he had encountered was Makuta Serrakaan, and he had barely escaped him with his life, and sanity. He ran like there was no tomorrow, not daring to look back. Eventually he stopped and looked back, not seeing anything. He sighed. "I survived." He got up, not knowing he was being watched by a pair of sinister eyes... Chapter 6 Alloy stood up. His body had reknit quickly after he'd been flung through a portal. The Droid looked around him. He was standing in some sort of chamber, and it was moving. The Stars whizzed by. Was he on some kind of spacecraft? Yes! Alloy raced to the front of the starship, an saw a brilliant view of the shadowy lands, full of feeble stars. Unused to being left alone, the droid sized up the situation. He was outside of the arena, as he heard no Kodax announce the deaths of the competitors. He was seemingly alone, but the craft was large, and every chamber could conceal an assassin. But with this, I could rule the Fallen Six, Alloy thought, grabbing at the wheel. Usually, it would take over 6 warriors to pilot the craft, but Alloy was clever. And as he felt his brain merge with that of the ship's computerized systems, Alloy knew he had won. Lock on. Forward, Alloy commanded, and the Starship shot past thousands of glimmering stars. And Alloy smiled. ---- Below, within the confines of the arena, Nightwatcher moved silently to his pet's rendezvous point. The tall green sillouhette of the Rahkshi of Growth blended eerily with he setting sun. "Good," said Nightwatcher. "So you made it here." Just then, the voice of the Kodax announcer ring out over the arena. "Spiruk." Only one had died today. Nightwatcher briefly wondered who could have killed him, then turned to the Rahkshi of Growth. "We're leaving," he snarled. "Something really big's happening out there, and we're going to pay them a visit." ---- Tahu and Gurren walked through the forest, supporting the badly wounded Lewa. After th battle at the first cache, Gurren had barely managed to get Lewa away from Naraku. Now, they were returning to their base camp. Things had not gone well for their small alliance. They'd barely gotten away from the caches with any weapons, and were now farther away from most water sources. Mata Nui help us! thought Tahu desprately. They'd been lucky to have escaped the battle alive. Then he saw his worst nightmare. A tall, well armored being was coming toward them, obviously stalking the three. "Orthodax!" he hissed to his team. Realizing he'd been spotted, the being drew a wickedly curved scimiter with his dagger sharp claws and grinned. Then he charged. ---- Shardak was becoming used to the arena. It was usually night, with a feeble sun appearing every so often. But now, it was night again, and Shardak sneaked through the trees, trying to avoid any other competitors. What he'd done to Spiruk had seriously disturbed Shardak, and he'd vowed to avoid the others and kill only when he had to. Then he would find Blast. Suddenly, Shardak realized, absorbed in his thoughts, he'd wandered into a fatal trap. "Hello, Toa," said a tall, thin Kodax. Six more beings, five Kodax led by Krakanus, were closing in. Of Tetrack or Nightwatcher, there was no sign. "You are dead, Toa." Krakanus leered. Chapter 7 Spiruk had never meant much to him. He was a fool who charged into battle without hesitation, without ever even considering whether or not the strategy would immediately get him killed. Still, Spiruk had been his brother, and now things had become personal. Spirak didn't care about the Eternal Game. He didn't care about winning. All he cared about was staying alive long enough to escape the terrible place. That, and vengeance on Shardak for his brother's death. He'd sat in the undergrowth and watched, silent as a phantom, as the Elemental Prince moved quietly under the light of the massive red sun. He listened carefully, not making a move, even as his target vanished from his sight. He could still hear him, and that was enough to make a rather good estimate of his position. Spirak felt a small insect bite at his neck, but knowing all too well that the slightest motion would alert Shardak of his presence, allowed the burning pain to spread through his body. It was a particularly painful bite, and he dimly wondered what kind of insect that was. Then he felt a growing weight on his shoulder, and knew that it was no insect. Forgetting all about his target, he turned around and rubbed the steadily growing creature — something that appeared to be a miniature green Rahkshi — from his shoulder. As he watched, stunned, it grew to his height, then higher, then higher. It towered above him like the sun itself, its hands large enough to crush him like a twig, its eyes gleaming at him like massive emeralds. "Why, hello," said the voice of the being that he recognized as Nightwatcher. He turned around, but in all directions there was nothing to be seen, save the trees, the sun, the sky, and the massive Rahkshi. He turned around again, and found himself looking at the Toa of Shadow's leg. "This here is my pet," the new arrival said as Spirak began to stutter in terror. "It is what is called a Rahkshi of Growth. Convenient little things to have around. They also are particularly good at scaring beings out of their wits." he leaned down, so the faces of the two Toa touched. "Then again, so am I." "W-w-what do you w-w-want?" said Spirak, his teeth chattering. "What do I want?" said Nightwatcher. "I want to get out of this miserable game, much as I enjoy it. And, if I understood correctly, the winner of this game can leave. So far as I know, the only way to win the game is to make sure no one else is left to attempt to do so. And so, to answer your question, I can quite definitely say that what I want is for you and the rest of my 'rivals' to die." Spirak was so terrified now that he was incapable of making any more noise, nor of moving as Nightwatcher picked him up. "I have been holding myself back for the last few days. I thought it would be enjoyable, picking them off one by one like maggots. But there is no time left for enjoyment. Tomorrow, every last one of my foes will be ground into dust." Nightwatcher began to squeeze, his fingers wrapping around the Toa's chest. "And if you wanted to know why I decided to kill you before everyone else," growled the being who had once been Toa Charon, "that's just too bad." A sickening explosion. Blood shot out in all directions from the body of his helpless victim as Nighwatcher's powerful hand crushed his helpless victim's torso. "There's something going on here," Nightwatcher growled, staring at the horrible-looking corpse as he dropped it back on the ground. "Something beyond what any of us can fathom, except possibly me. And once all of you weak scum are grounded into dust, I'm leaving this place." He looked up at the sky. The sun had gone now, and now the only visible lights were those of the eyes of Nightwatcher and his pet. "Come, Girahk," he said. "It's time to go kill some Great Beings." Chapter 8 Brominax walked silently through the forest, tracking Antidax. The rebel Great Being had ended up in this accursed place as well, and Brominax felt it was his duty to hunt Antidax down and kill him once and for all. Stay down, He motioned to Fyxan, as the Kodax stood to confront Antidax. We can't be seen, Brominax thought desprately. Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed above the two beings. His eyes feral, Tetrack rose from behind them like a phantom. With a start, Antidax saw what was following him, and turned backwards. Faster than lightning, another being raced from the undergrowth, striking Fyxan. Brominax recognized the traitor Fyxon as the two Kodax locked in mortal combat. He turned to Antidax. "I'll finish you, even if Tetrack destroys me afterward." "No, you won't," hissed Tetrack. Six Kodax appeared like mist from the surrounding woods. Antidax smiled. And Brominax realized, at that moment, just how much trouble they were in. ---- "Follow me, Vakax," Maserix ordered as the tall, brutal being turned away. "Don't want to get lost in this arena, do you?" Maserix, using his deadly powers, had taken over Vakax's mind. He made the perfect slave — deadly and stupid. He'd been smart, but his will had been overwhelmed by that of the Great Being's. A jolt of deathly cold struck Vakax and Maserix. The two beings turned, and were in a different place altogether. Some sort of stationary spacecraft. "We're not in the arena now," hissed Vakax. "No, this is some sort of spacecraft. Stationary." Vakax turned away, but Maserix's cold fingers on his shoulder stilled his movement. "Follow." He led the being down the narrow passageway that opened into a spectacular view of the night sky. The Stars feebly flickered, and dusky planets shone through the darkness. It was brilliant. Stooping down, Maserix saw that the chamber was some sort of launching pad. Most were empty, but one, a small white craft designed for two, was still there. Then, looking up, he saw the pulsing lights of another ship in the distance. And Maserix knew with a feverent certainty that another competitor was on that ship. "Follow me," he ordered his slave. "we're taking down that ship." Vakax lumbered over to join Maserix in the small space. There was an indefinite supply of air within, but Vakax barely fit. Maserix hoped that the lumbering thing would not destroy the roof. The change in pressure would kill him instantly. As Vakax flew the ship across the heavens, Maserix saw they were closing with the ship. "Lock on target," Maerix hissed. "Ready, aim, FIRE!!!! Chapter 9 Shardak was surrounded. Six strong Kodax led by Krakanus were all aiming weapons at him. Was it possible he could escape this? Another being was also with them. Phoenix was holding a torch and spear, her face set in a sardonic smile. with a start, Shardak realized it was a Scaldera, like Nightshade's Kanohi. Hatred flared in his chest as he recalled Nightshade slash her poisoned dagger at Arcturas as she cut him down... Shardak shook his head, clearing his mind. Krakanus seemed to be in no hurry to let him die. The dark Makuta raised his blade. "Finish it," he ordered a red-armored Kodax. And thinking of Nightshade fighting Arcturas gave Shardak an idea. "Wait!" Shardak yelled. The Kodax stopped, his spear inches from Shardak's throught. "Krakanus, I challenge you to single combat!" Krakanus stopped. Then his face twisted into an evil grin. "Or are you going to run and hide, and let your strike team do the dirty work for you?" Krakanus' red eyes glowed with evil hatred. "I accept. Name your terms." "Winner lives. I win, and you die and the Kodax let me go. You win, and I die." With a flourish, Krakanus drew his sword. His two other clawed hands gripped halfspears. Shardak held only his temporary sword. "Here, take this, Krakanus," said Phoenix, passing him the Blade of Arcturas. Shardak hissed in fury as Krakanus drew the sword. Flame burst from the tip. "Is this little Shardak's sword?" asked Phoenix. "Does it make him angry to see it used against him?" She was taunting him, trying to make him lose focus. And as he cleared his mind, Krakanus attacked. One spear lurched at him, which Shardak narrowly blocked. Krakanus slashed his sword down Shardak's leg, drawing blood. The other spear stabbed out at him, narrowly missing. Panting, Shardak tried an attack, but Krakanus easily blocked it. Shardak had fought intense battles against deadly opponents, but this Krakanus was one of the toughest he'd ever fought. Once again, the blade lashed out, ripping a gash in his shoulder. He's playing with me. Shardak thought. He'll finish me off when it suits him. He slashed out again, but faster than the eye could see, Krakanus blocked. Shardak parried the next strike, but Krakanus had already stabbed him again. With a kick, Krakanus sent Shardak sprawling to the ground. "So this is the best that Shardak can do?" asked Phoenix mockingly. "There were many Kodax betting that you'd win, you know. Too bad they'll all be disappointed." Krakanus lunged, and the battle dissolved into a brutal, senseless attack. Shardak stagged away, Krakanus spearing. Shardak ducked a blow, and Krakanus kicked him to the ground. "You are dead," snarled Krakanus as he raised the sword for the final strike. Shardak though about attacking now, but he knew that the Halfspears would block him. As Krakanus brought down the blade, Shardak exploded upward. Krakanus was ready, and tore the sword from his hands, stabbing a visious wound through his back with one spear. Pain exploded through his body as Krakanus slashed the sword down, cutting through his armor to the bone. With a last effort, Shardak ripped the spear from Krakanus' hands and stabbed out. For an instant, the two warriors stood face-to-face as Krakanus brought down the sword. With every inch of strength he had left, Shardak stabbed the spear upward. Krakanus broke away, fury in his red eyes, which turned to pain as Shardak jabbed the spear up through Krakanus' armor and into his heart. Slowly, very slowly, the Makuta Lord sagged and collapsed on the ground. And the Kodax stood shocked for one instant, then raised their spears... Chapter 10 Hissing a vile curse, Fyxon ripped at his archenemy's chest. The hated Fyxan was his to kill, Tetrack had promised him. More Kodax charged from behind the trees, slashing their swords at Brominax. The Great Being felled one, slashing it open, and sliced another's head off. Tetrack, seeing his shock troops were ineffective, lashed out with a chainsaw. Brominax dodged, and a third Kodax ripped open his shoulder. Seeing Brominax distracted, Tetrack slashed again, nearly beheading the Great Being. Brominax stopped. He'd heared something. The clash of steel-on-steel. Fyxan, breaking apart from the stunned Fyxon, heared it too. Tetrack cursed. "The other group, led by Krakanus. Kill the attackers!" With a single blow, he slashed Brominax to the ground. The deadly rotating weapons ripped deep gouges in the beings armor, and Brominax collapsed. Without pausing to see if he'd survived, Tetrack turned, the Kodax following him. Clang! A spear was flung past Shardak as the Kodax chased him across the forest floor. A second took him in the shoulder. Shardak stumbled, and the the pain of his wounds was so great that he almost stopped. But the thought of Blast, alone in the dark arena galvanized him. As he ran, a third spear whizzed at him, and Shardak knew this time, it would not miss. Shardak threw out a hand- -and the blade burst into flames. Startled by the sudden drain of energy, he stumbled and fell. The Kodax had given up persuit. He sighed. "I've escaped." Then he saw the tall, dark figure of Tetrack, followed by Fyxon and more Kodax, and realized he was far from safe... Blast stood atop a hill near the volcano as darkness fell, and the Kodax announcer gave the death toll. "Krakanus, Spirak." He'd known neither of them. After four days in the arena, he was beginning to tire of the constent worry that more of his ememies would find him. Iruka and the Fallen Six were operating near the volcano, he knew, and wondered if they were toying with him. A dark shape strode into the night, cutting off his thoughts. A tall, well-armored being. Iruka? No. through the stars half-light, Blast made out the Element Lord of Robotics. The tall being spoke an inaudible word, and a door in the mountainside swung open. The Lord dissapeared into the shadows. What is he hiding? Blast wondered. Prisoners, supplies, or... Intruiged, Blast drew the Scythe of Creation and raced off in persuit. Jaller wandered through the shadowy forest,looking for someplace to hide. The events of the battles had made made the Toa of Fire sick. All of them, forced to compete in this "Eternal Game" fighting to the last one standing. All of a sudden, Jaller heard something he turned around,to see a black figure in a hood and cloak. He raised his weapon."Who are you?" The figure advanced, slowly. Jaller took several paces back, with an over-powering fear coming over him."W-who you are, -stay back!" He ran toward the being,his sword raised. It would be the worst, and last, mistake he ever made in his life. The being stabbed Jaller in his stomach area, downing him. The Toa looked up to see the horrific being's Mask glowing. Blood started pouring from the unfortunate Toa of Fire's mouth, so much blood, that he eventually drowned in it. Makuta Serrakaan turned away from the grisly scene, looking for another victim. Millennium walked through a deserted battlefield, looking for something to kill. His huge axblade, still stained with Mersery's blood, slashed through the undergrowth, crushing any Rahi in his path. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him."Millennium..." Millennium turned around,to see a tall being, clad in black and green armor. Millennium raised his weapon."Who are you? What do you want?" The being looked at Millennium. "I have a proposal." Millennium eyed the being."What kind of proposal?" The being answered."An alliance." Millennium thought for a moment He may be useful. The Shadow of Ages leader decided. "All right... I accept." The being smiled."Excellent." Millenium asked him one last question."Wait, what is your name." The being stopped."My name...is Makuta Benjarmin. Chapter 11 Maserix cursed. After he'd fired on Alloy's ship, the droid had jerked it out of the way. He'd been following the ship for three long days, and on the dusk of the fourth he finally had gotten within firing range. "Ready to fire." He ordered Vakax. As the hulking being complied, Maserix grinned. I It would be a fun night. "Well, what have we here?" Tetrack Nui lifted the feebly struggling figure of Shardak above his head. "A meddling toa? I compliment you on defeating Krakanus." He went on. "But you'll never defeat me!" He turned to a tall, black armored Kodax lord. "Velnax, search the area. There may be more here." The Kodax turned and vanished among the trees. Shardak was lifted higher, so his eyes locked with Tetrack's. It was like gazing into the eyes of pure insanity. Dread froze his heart, and his gaze burned through Shardak's body. It was worse than pain. "You can't win, Toa." Tetrack rasped. "This is the end..." "No!" A new voice spoke. "This is the end for you!" A Toa of light was standing on a slope above them. Tetrack breathed a curse, dropping Shardak to the ground. Twenty Kodax drew their blades, Velnax leading them. "Fairon." Tetrack hissed. "Tetrack." The toa replied. Two more beings appeared beside him. Fyxan and Brominax. Tetrack was done being subtle. "KILL THEM!!!" he screamed. The Kodax charged forward. One was flung to the ground by Fyxan, another torn apart by Brominax. Fairon went at Velnax, and spear clashed on sword as the two, Toa and Kodax, fought. Shardak did not join in on the fun. Before the Kodax could kill him, he vanished into the growing dusk. It was almost the end of day nine in the arena. With luck, the battles would keep the others distracted. Shardak was done getting pushed around by Kodax. The turned away from the fading sounds of battle to find Blast. "FIRE! FIRE!! FIRE!!!!" Maserix screeched as their ship was struck by almost fatal impact. They needed to board, soon. Otherwise Alloy would escape, and they would die. Their ship was gaining. Alloy's was weakening. Soon, they would be able to board... As they shot another blisteringly hot volley of missles at Alloy's ship. As the ship swerved toward them from the impact, Their damaged miniship slid into the boarding area. "Come, Vakax." Maserix spoke softly, his voice betraying none of the excitement he felt. "Let's destroy him." Category:Xaterex Multiverse Storyline Category:Stories